Measuring device.



i W. B. SPENCER. MEASURING DEVIGE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26. 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

W. B. SPENCER.

v MEASURING DEVICE. APPLICATION IILED AUG. 26, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented J an. 17, 1911.

EUNTTE ll WILLIAM B. SPENCER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEASURING DEVICE.

Application filed August 26, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Serial No. 514,787.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VJILLIA B. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Measuring Devices, ofwhich the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichcorresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicatelike parts.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a measuring devicewhich shall be simple and cheap in construction and operation, andprovided with adjustable means whereby it may be adapted to varyingmeasurements so that any predetermined units of weight in articles ofvarying specific gravity, such, for example, as coffee, tea or rice, maybe indicated with accuracy by measurement alone.

A further object is to so construct said device that different articlesmay be mixed or blended while being measured.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination of elementshereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a device embodying thefeatures of my invention, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken uponthe line 2, Fig. 3, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown,Fig. 3 is a plan view, and Fig. i is a central vertical sectional viewof a'modilied construction.

Referring to the drawings, (t represents a reservoir of any desiredcapacity, preferably made from sheet metal and cylindrical in form,having inclined portions Z), c, Fig. 2, forming a hopper bottom. Ameasuring chamber (Z, is formed at the front, of lesser width than thebody of the reservoir and directly beneath the throat of the hopper,which is adapted to be closed by means of a sheet-metal slide 6.Parallel flanges f, shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 2, and indicatedin dotted lines in- Fig. 3, are extended rearwardly from the measuringchamber, of which their forward portions form the side-walls, and areconnected at the rear by means of a wall g, of wood. The reservoir isprovided with a floor or bottom it, which serves as a partial supportfor the slide 6, portions of which extend laterally through slots 2' andare bent around and rigidly attached to rods j, as shown at it. Saidrods are preferably made integral with a cross-bar Z, at the front, andare slidably supported in bearings m, m, at the sides of the baseportion. A forwardly bent depending arm a, is rigidly attached to thebottom of the slide c, and is adapted to be moved back and forth througha slot at), Fig. 2, in the floor 72,. A coiled spring 0 serves to holdthe slide back in a normal position against a stop 7). The arm n isprovided with a vertical slot q through which is loosely extended a bentarm 1" rigidly attached to a tilting gate 8, hinged at t. The gate islocated within a delivery spout a and forms the bottom of the measuringchamber. The spring .0 serves to hold the slide 0 normally open, and byreason of the action of the part Q upon the arm 1', the gate 8 is heldnormally closed. I prefer to make the arm 1 of resilient material, andto so shape it that when the gate 8 is closed it will be under springtension. In order to prevent the slide a from crushing articles beingmeasured, as a result of closing said slide as well as to permit saidslide to have enough movement after closing the discharge opening fromthe reservoir to pro vide for the sudden opening of the tilting gate 8,and to fully close the latter during the initial backward movement ofthe gate 0, before the discharge opening controlled thereby is exposed,I provide a yielding abutment 1), which consists of an inclined plateformed from thin sheet-metal having more or less of a spring temper, sothat it may yield, as indicated in Fig. 2, when the slide is pressedagainst it and return to its normal position when again released. Iprefer to form vertical slits w, Fig. 3 therein so that in case a grainof some material is pressed against some one portion that portion mayyield with less resistance than would be required. to bend the wholeplate.

Removable partitions a" are supported in vertical guides x so that theentire reservoir may be used for one material or a plurality ofdifferent compartments all in communication with the measuringreceptacle may be employed for mixing different materials. which may beseparately placed in each compartment. This feature is especiallydesirable in blending coffee.

For the purpose of varying the capacity of the measuring chamber fordifferent materials, I provide the following means: Pivoted at 3 withinthe front of the measuring chamber, is a movable wall 3 which may beadjusted to any desired position by means of a set-screw g tapped'into across-bar g A rigid bail or shield f is extended outwardly across thefront of the measuring chamber for the purpose hereinafter stated.

Formed in the part y is a notch 3 having lugs y, y upon opposite sidesthereof through bores in which is passed a screwthreaded rod 2, having athumb-nut 2 thereon located between said lugs. The turning of the nutserves to move the rod forward or back. A head upon the rear end of therod is provided with a slot 2 through which is extended a pin 2 attachedto the rear wall a of the measuring chamber, said wall being pivotallysupported at t. A slot 2 in the wall f permits the pin to be moved backand forth. A flange 2 upon the top and side edges of the wall 2 servesto give it strength. A stop .2 is provided for limiting its back wardmovement. By means of the nut .2 the wall 2 may be adjusted to anydesired position.

The operation of said device is as follows If only one material isplaced in the reservoir, I prefer to remove the partitions 09, althoughthis is not essential. If two materials are to be blended, all of thepartitions except the middle one, should be removed, when the materialsare placed in adjoining compartments, it being understood, of course,that as many compartments should be provided for as there are separatematerials to be mixed. The operator then grasps the bar Z and pulls theslide 6 forward. The bent arm 4" is so shaped with reference to the arm9 that the gate 8 remains closed until the forward end of the slide 6 isbrought into contact with the part '0, when the gate 8 falls and permitsthe material from the measuring chamber to be delivered. If differentmaterials are stored in the reservoir, it will be found that they willbe mixed in the required proportions, which may be varied at will byproviding and adjusting the requisite partitions.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of said invention in which theslide 6 is operated from the rear by means of a projecting rod 0 The arm8 upon the gate 8 is also slightly modified, as'is also the actuatingarm 8 the lower end of which is adapted to bear upon the top of the arm8 The relative position of the two, when the gate 8 is open, beingindicated in dotted lines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination in a measuring device of a reservoir, a measuringchamber, a normally open sliding gate for closing and release the sameduring the remaining movement of said sliding gate, after the forwardend thereof is in contact with said yielding abutment and to suddenlyclose said tilting gate before the forward end of said sliding gateshall have separated from said yielding abutment in a reverse movement.

2. The combination of a reservoir, a measuring chamber, a normally opensliding gate for controlling the discharge from the former to thelatter, a tilting gate for controlling the discharge from the latter,one of said gates being open while the other is closed, a resilient armupon said tilting gate for holding the same normally closed, and an armupon said sliding gate for engaging said resilient arm, the latter beingbent close to the axis of the gate to permit the latter to suddenly openafter said sliding gate is closed, and cause the same to be suddenlyclosed during the initial opening movementof said sliding gate, and tobe held closed by a resilient pressure when said sliding gate is fullyopen.

3. The combination with a reservoir and measuring chamber of slidingrods connected at the front of the device to form a handle, a slidinggate supported by said rods for controlling the discharge opening fromsaid reservoir to the measuring chamber, a spring for holding said gatenormally open, said gate being arranged to move a predetermined distanceafter closing said discharge opening, a pivoted gate for controlling thedischarge opening of said measuring chamber, a bent arm upon said gateextending rearwardly from its axis, and an arm extending downwardly fromsaid sliding gate to contact with said bent arm, whereby a slightforward or backward movement of the sliding gate when closed may serveto permit said tilting gate to open or cause it to be closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 23d day of August 1909.

WILLIAM B. SPENCER.

Witnesses:

D. II. FLETCHER, CARRIE E. JORDAN.

